By bizn_fun 
There have been signs of the downturn in pricing of whisky. The super-premium whiskies, which can typically be found in airport shops, have been coming down in price, and there is increased supermarket discounting of premium single malts.
Some distillers declined to comment on the downturn, referring inquiries to their trade body, the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA).
A spokeswoman there said: “There is no doubt that the industry is facing significant challenges both at home and on the world stage, including the 10% tariff in our biggest export market and a fall in global consumer demand.”
The industry has been critical of the UK Treasury’s duty on alcohol, which covers around 7% of Scotch output that is sold in the UK, as well as other spirits including vodka, gin and rum.
SWA chief executive Mark Kent said another rise in duty announced in the Westminster Budget last month puts “huge additional pressure on a sector suffering job losses, stalled investment and business closures”.
He added: “Put simply, the government cannot expect the Scotch whisky sector to just keep delivering growth, both at home and on the world stage, if the conditions which support growth are not nurtured”.
The SWA has been under pressure from farmers to develop more reliable and steady contracts for barley.
The spokeswoman commented: “The stability of the Scotch Whisky supply chain is of vital importance to our sector, and challenges that impact us will of course impact everyone from the farmers who grow our cereals, through to the hospitality venues who serve our products.
“Rising costs will impact Scotch Whisky producers’ margins, their long term planning and in some cases the viability of their businesses, and we are seeing the reverberating effects of that across our supply chain.”
She added: “We remain in regular communication with our colleagues in the farming sector to address our industries’ shared challenges and boost the resilience of the Scotch Whisky supply chain from grain to glass.”